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What is the difference between "signing" and "certifying"?

When using the Consigno software to sign document electronically, you will have the option to Certify your document:

What is the difference between a signed document and a certified document?

• During the signature of a document, the integrity of the documents data’s is guaranteed by your digital signature. However, some feature will stay active to facilitate certain activity similar to signing a physical paper drawing (Drawing markups, … ).

• During the certification of a document, you are still using a digital signature to guarantee the integrity of the document. However, you are also adding additional restriction on the document preventing further action on it.

We are multiple signer on a document, which one of us needs to select the certification option?

• The certification of a document needs to be done by the first signer of the document (making sure beforehand to have created all the required zone for the other signer and to have selected, from Consigno Desktop, the option to Prevent modifications while allowing to sign existing zones)

I need to modify the content of a certified document, how do I proceed?

• The certification of a document being a reliable option, no futher action is possible once this has been applied: the modification will then need to be done on the original « non-sign/certified » document.

I cannot certify a document that was already signed previously.

• For reasons covered above, the option to certify is only available to the first signer of the document.

Is the certification of a document mandatory from a legal point of view?

• While your Association and/or Order might require this option, the certification is still just an additional option in Consigno and has no impact on the legal value of you document, a sign document versus a certified document are the same.